Canister or humidor top for closed and opened sealed container



July 11, 1961 2,991,903

J. WEISS CANISTER OR HUMIDOR TOP FOR CLOSED AND OPENED SEALED CONTAINERS Filed May 15, 1958 mm mn IN VEN TOR.

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United States Patent 2,991,903 CANISTER OR HUMIDOR TOP FOR CLOSED AND OPENED SEALED CONTAINERS James Weiss, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Legar, Inc.,

. Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois I Filed May 15, 1958, Ser, No. 735,570

- 1 Claim. ((1220-42) 7 My invention relates to a supplemental top attachable to a sealed container and also attachable to it when opened and making it into a canister or humidor.

. .It is among the objects of my invention to provide means attachable to ahermetically sealed container and removable when the container is opened for transforming it into an attractive and useable canister for foods or a humidor for tobacco.

For certain kinds of foods such as candy and other perishable commodities such as tobacco that tend to lose their flavor, color or other properties when exposed to the air, it is imperative that these products be packed in hermetically sealed containers. Problems arise when these containers are opened. In most instances, all of the commodity in the container is not used at the time of opening. This is particularly true of candy and tobacco. In order to preserve their freshness, it is necessary that the container be closed with a cover. The lid that accompanies the sealed container is too shallow and sharp for continued use. It is also inconvenient to repack the candy or tobacco in another receptacle. The container portion of the hermetically sealed package is, however, acceptable and most people would prefer to continue its use after it has been opened. I have solved this problem by fitting another lid or cover over the sealed device. When it is opened, this cover is, of course, removed, and when the original lid is thrown away the new cover can be used to provide a canister cover for candy, or as a humidor lid for tobacco.

With my new cover, it is desirable to decorate both the container and the cover with attractive cooperating designs so as to enhance the pleasure of the use of the canister or humidor. Even after the original product is used, the canister or humidor is desirable for future and lasting use.

My invention also comprises such other objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and which are inherently possessed by my invention.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of my invention, yet it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a hermetically sealed container; FIG, 2 is an elevational view of the same with my canister top on the unopened container; FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the sealed container being opened; FIG. 4 is a top plan view of my canister top; FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the same; FIG. 6 is an elevational view showing my canister top on the container after it has been opened; FIG. 7 is an enlarged detailed cross sectional view on line 77 of FIG. 6; and FIG. 8 is a sectional view of notched wall 25 with inclined surfaces 26 and 27.

The embodiment selected to illustrate my invention comprises a vacuum packed can 10 having a body member or container 11. A ring 12 is attached to the top of the body member 11 and has a rolled top edge 13. A top 14 having a surrounding short side wall portion 15 with a sharp bottom edge 16 which fits over ring 12 with the inner surface of side portion 15 engaging the outer surface of ring 12 for a short distance, but not extending deep enough to cover all of the area of ring 12.

Adjacent the top of side wall 17 of can 10 is a circumferential rib 18 just above which is the top 19 of can 10.

11 are available for use. When these contents are candy, itis unlikely that they'will all be used at that time. In-

most instances, the users will eat some of the candy and want to retain it for use in the immediate future. In these normal circumstances, it is undesirable to leave the candy exposed, because it would soon become stale. Because top 14 is so shallow it is difficult to fit it over the container. The sharp bottom edge 16 also makes it diificult, if not dangerous, to use because of the likelihood of being cut thereby when trying to fit the top on the body member. Frequently children are involved and they, more likely than adults, cut themselves. Under these circumstances common sense indicates throwing away the shallow top 14. The result of that is however that this leaves a container without a top. Some persons would then also throw away the body member and put the remaining candy in a new container having a top.

However, the body member is worth saving and having a non cutting top rolled edge 13 is desirable to retain. This saves the user from removing and repacking the candy or tobacco.

In order to provide a useable and better top, I provide a canister top 22 preferably made of resilient plastic material having a central knob 23, a dished top portion 24 and a deep depending marginal Wall 25. In top 22, wall 25 extends downwardly and outwardly on a diagonal from the outer edge of top portion 24 and has on its upper inner surface an outwardly extending notch between a pair of inclined surfaces 26 and 27, so that the diameters between opposite sides of surfaces 27 are less than the diameters between opposite sides of surfaces 26. The side edges of knob 23 have knurls 28 for easier gripping. The interior of knob 23 is hollow. Top portion 24 extends downwardly and outwardly from knob 23 and then upwardly and outwardly to its meeting with the inner edge of marginal wall 25.

When shallow top 14 is removed from body member 11 and discarded, top 22 is removably mounted on body member 11 for closing the same. Top 22 having a deeper side wall 25 fits easily down over the top of body member 11 and stays in place and is just as easily removedby the use of decorative canister knob 23.

When my top 22 is sold with the closed, sealed vacuum packed can 10, top 22 is of sufficient size to fit over top 14 and be held thereagainst in place by removable friction fit.

In the event that tobacco is packed in can 10, when top 14 is removed and replaced with top 22, the hollow interior 29 is adapted to receive and hold a slightly compressed sponge 30, containing water to act as a humidor for the tobacco when top 22 is placed on container 11.

In the foregoing specification, I have referred to can 10 as vacuum packed. It is within the spirit of my invention to have can 10 hermetically sealed and to be vacuum packed, pressure packed or atmosphere packed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A readily attachable and detachable plastic canister lid for snugly engaging hermetically sealed cans of varying diameters in both closed and opened position, said lid comprising a dished top wall having a central knurled graspable knob handle and a deep marginal depending flange forming a side wall, the inner surface of said side wall having intermediate its top and bottom edge an out- Patented July 11, 1961' diameters of varying graduated sizes therebetween so as to provide a plurality of diameters of different sizes to cooperate with diameters of different sizes of closed cans, one of the diameters of said side wall of a sizeto snugly fit the diameter of the closed can and hold the same thereon by friction grip so that said lid is packed with the closed can, said lid being easily and immediately removable from said closed can by vertical lift of said handle, said side wall also'fiaring outwardly and downwardly between its top and said ofiset providing the smallest diameter immediately below the top, the largest diameter just above said ofiset and many diameters of varying sizes therebetween so as to provide a plurality of diameters of different sizes to cooperate with diameters of different sizes of opened 4 cans, one of the diameters of said side wall 'of a size to snugly fit the diameter of the opened can and hold the same thereon by friction grip so as to protect contents in the can, said lid being easily and immediately removable from the opened can by vertical lift of said handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,058,468 Korwan Oct. 27, 1936 2,536,044 Erb Jan. 2, 1951 2,680,048 McDonald June 1, 1954 2,840,124 Greene June 24, 1958 2,913,140 Vuillemenot Nov. 17, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 123,610 Australia Feb. 17, 1947 757,918 Great Britain Sept. 26, 1956 

